The sweet potato porridge bubbled and simmered in the iron pot. Fu Yucheng stirred it gently with a spoon to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Some red dates and longans were added to the porridge, and the sweet aroma mixed with the fragrance of sweet potatoes filled the entire courtyard.
"The porridge is almost ready," he called to the eaves. "Yinyin, Second Sister-in-law, come and taste it quickly and see if the sweetness is right."
Jiang Jianhua put down the embroidery thread and helped Yun Tangyin to her feet: "I'm a little tired from embroidering, let's have a bowl of porridge and rest."
The two walked to the kitchen, where Fu Yucheng ladled out two bowls of porridge and handed them to them.
Yun Tangyin blew on it, took a sip, and the warm porridge slid into her stomach, making her squint her eyes comfortably: "It's so delicious, even sweeter than plain sweet potato porridge. Your cooking skills are getting better and better."
Jiang Jianhua nodded in agreement: "Yes, the porridge we buy in the city doesn't taste like this. In a few days, we'll cook some corn porridge and add some pumpkin. It'll definitely taste good too."
Fu Yucheng smiled and agreed, "Sure, whatever you want to eat, I'll make it for you, I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
After cleaning up the dried radishes, Aunt Zhang came over and took the bowl of porridge that Fu Yucheng handed her: "Let me try some too, it smells delicious."
She took a sip and couldn't help but sigh, "Homemade porridge is still the best. It's soft, sticky, and sweet, and even my old teeth can eat it without any trouble."
She called out to Fu Yuanshan, "Yuanshan, come and drink your porridge, it won't taste good if it gets cold."
Fu Yuanshan was weaving bamboo baskets for the children when he heard this. He put down the bamboo strips and came over: "You're here. This bamboo basket will be finished soon. It'll be perfect for Lan'er to put her marbles in."
He took the bowl of porridge, took a big gulp, and said, "It's so sweet, even better than the sweet soup in the city."
The children, tired from playing, gathered around for some porridge. Fu Yucheng served each child a bowl. Xiao Lan held her bowl, sipping it slowly, and popped a piece of sesame candy into her mouth, her eyes crinkling with sweetness: "Brother Fu, this porridge is so delicious! Can you make it again tomorrow?"
Fu Yucheng nodded with a smile: "Of course you can. You can cook it every day if you like."
While drinking porridge, Yun Tangyin always felt that Jiang Jianhua's gaze towards her belly was somewhat different, carrying a hint of envy and a hidden sense of loneliness.
Before she could ask anything, Jiang Jianhua looked away and smiled as he placed a red date in her porridge: "Eat red dates, they replenish your qi and blood, and are good for the baby."
Fu Yucheng also sensed something was wrong. The image of his brother hesitating to speak when he was drinking with Fu Yuanshan last night was still vivid in his mind.
Seeing that Jiang Jianhua was avoiding the topic, he quietly nudged Fu Yuanshan's arm and gestured with his eyes for him to find an opportunity to talk about the situation.
Fu Yuanshan understood, finished the porridge in his bowl in a few gulps, and said to Jiang Jianhua, "Jianhua, come inside with me, I'll help you put away the things I brought from the city."
After the two entered the house, Fu Yuanshan sighed and said, "If you're feeling down, talk to Yinyin and the others. Keeping it bottled up inside isn't a good solution."
Jiang Jianhua sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his fingertips unconsciously touching the hem of his clothes. After a long silence, he said softly, "I'm afraid that if I say it, everyone will worry, especially Yinyin who is pregnant. I don't want her to be sad."
“But we’re even more worried when you keep it all bottled up like this,” Fu Yuanshan squatted down in front of her and held her hand. “Yinyin isn’t an outsider, and Aunt Zhang cares about you too. She said that we should all share the burden, which is better than you carrying it all alone.”
Jiang Jianhua's eyes slowly reddened, and his voice choked with sobs: "Yinyin and I were pregnant at the same time, but... I suddenly started bleeding at three months, and I lost the baby. My body is too weak, and I still couldn't keep him."
Fu Yuanshan gently patted her back, said nothing more, and just silently stayed with her.
Outside, Yun Tangyin felt increasingly uneasy as she watched the two of them not come out for a long time. Just as she was about to get up to check on them, she saw Jiang Jianhua walk out with red eyes.
She quickly helped Jiang Jianhua sit down and handed her a handkerchief: "Second sister-in-law, what's wrong? Is there something you're hiding from us?"
Jiang Jianhua took the handkerchief, wiped away his tears, and finally told the story: "Yinyin, I couldn't keep my baby... so when I came back, my belly was empty. I was afraid you would worry, so I didn't dare to tell you."
Upon hearing this, Yun Tangyin felt a pang of anxiety and quickly grasped her hand: "Second sister-in-law, don't be sad. This isn't your fault. It's just that the child wasn't meant to be with us. We'll take good care of our health in the future, and we'll definitely be able to have another child."
Aunt Zhang also came over and patted Jiang Jianhua on the shoulder: "Silly child, why didn't you say something so important sooner? It must have been so hard for you to bear it all by yourself. From now on, I'll be here to make you chicken soup and nourishing food, and I'll definitely help you get better."
Fu Yucheng added, "Second sister-in-law, don't worry too much. Just rest. You don't need to do any chores around the house. Your second brother and I will take care of it. In a few days, I'll go to town and buy you some brown sugar and red dates to replenish your blood and energy. I'll also ask the doctor if there are any prescriptions to help you regulate your body."
Looking at the concerned eyes of everyone, Jiang Jianhua felt a warmth in her heart, but her tears flowed even more fiercely: "Thank you all. I thought you would blame me for not being able to save the baby..."
“Nonsense,” Fu Yuanshan walked out and sat down next to her. “We are all saddened by the loss of the child, but your well-being is the most important thing. We will have another chance in the future.”
In the days that followed, everyone took extra care of Jiang Jianhua.
Aunt Zhang stews chicken soup for her every day, adding angelica and astragalus to it, which nourishes blood and qi without causing dryness.
Yun Tangyin often talked to her, telling her funny stories from her pregnancy to cheer her up.
When Fu Yucheng went to town, he specifically asked a doctor for a prescription to regulate his body, bought some Chinese medicine, and reminded Jiang Jianhua to drink it every morning and evening.
That afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, and Jiang Jianhua sat with Yun Tangyin under the eaves, embroidering.
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